A Forest Girl's Legacy
by pikachu909
Summary: The alternate version of the story "Eyes of the Serpent, Heart of the Tiger".
1. Chapter 1

A Forest Girl's Legacy

By

Pikachu909

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but I do own Inari and Kobura.

It was a dark night, in the Hidden Leaf Village. Everyone was in their homes, sleeping in their beds. But everything suddenly changed when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked a part of the village with its nine tails.

Many brave ninjas fought to protect their home by driving it away from the village and into the forest, near the mountains. They hold it off the best as they can but one by one the nine-tailed fox took their lives. Just when it seems a hopeless situation, the Fourth Hokage arrived and sealed the dreadful Nine-Tailed Fox away, with his own life.

A couple of hours after the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed away, a small, six year old girl came out from hiding to see if all was calm. She had a creamy tan skin with slit pupil light green eyes along with purple eye markings that snakes around the lash line and stopped at a quarter of an inch beyond the eye and stopped at a half an inch at the top of her nose. She had waist length raven locks. She wore a purple cloth ribbon that goes with her eye markings in her hair and her mother's gold locket with a name Hana on it attached to a light blue choker.

She saw an elderly couple in a crowd of people and went up to them.

"Grandma, Grandpa. Where's my mother? I couldn't find her, after the Nine-Tailed Fox disappeared." The young girl asked innocently.

"Your mother is dead Inari. She died underneath the rubble of a destroyed building." The elderly woman answered her in a cold tone. Her eyes showed nothing but bitterness to the child. Inari's were wide open in disbelief of her mother's death. Her husband looked at Inari with the same bitterness in his eyes as the other people in the village.

"Inari ever since your mother brought you into this world, your grandmother and I know that one day your existence will bring heavy burden to this village." The elderly man told her with disgust. "And our prediction of you was right, your six years of existence brought the Nine-Tailed Fox to the Leaf Village not only to destroy part of our home but also took lives of innocent people." Angry villagers growled in agreement with the elderly man.

"But grandma, grandpa I didn't done anything bad to bring the Nine-Tailed Fox to the village, honest!" Inari pleaded for innocence.

"Silence, riffraff!" The elderly woman bitterly told her as she grab her by the wrist and throw her to the hard ground. "When I took a good look at your eyes, it had the eyes of a treacherous snake." One villager suggested she would be thrown in a pit of vicious dogs. The other villager suggested that they should kill her by poisonous needles. But most of the villagers chose to banish her from the Hidden Leaf Village and everyone agreed to that decision. Her grandmother gave Inari her hairbrush and told that if she step foot in the village, she will be killed.

Not wasting any time, the young girl fled. A few seconds after she started to flee from her grandparents, a few villagers started to throw kunai knives and shuriken at the poor girl in their attempts to injure her. Two or three villagers rain poisonous needles down on her in hopes that their needles can poison her. But she made it out unharmed. As she navigates through a maze of alleyways in the village, another villager released a pack of vicious dogs after her. As she heard the sound of dogs coming behind her, she bumped into a wood wall in front of her. Without a moment to spare, she leapt on top of a garbage can and onto the fence. Next, she leaped off the fence and landed on her feet. She was thankful that she had the balance and the ability to land on her feet like a cat, which she inherited from her mother. When she saw the gate of the Leaf Village, kunai darted at her and yet she evaded every last one until she is out of the village and went into the woods where was not destroyed from the Nine-Tailed Fox.

As she went deeper in the forest, she leaned on to a tree by her side and slowly slides down until she's on her knees. After she got onto her knees, she began to weep over the loss of her beloved mother. Before she was banished, the villagers hated her and mother and she doesn't understand why. Now she is now greatly hated for an event that she didn't took part in. As her tears fill with immense heartache while her heart is filled with complete anger and hatred towards the village that she once called her home.

Unaware to the mourning girl, a rogue ninja hided in a nearby branch. He noticed the locket around Inari's neck and thought it's worth some money. He got out three of his kunai out of his weapon bag preparing himself to kill the young girl from the branch of a nearby tree.

Without warning, a long serpent tail quickly snatched the rogue ninja in its coils. He yelled in pain as it constricted him making him unable to move. His body was glowing as it begins to strip all of his chakra away from him.

Inari let out a terrifying gasp as she heard the rogue ninja's agonizing yell. She even saw his dead body falling from the branch. Her mind was telling her to run for her life but her body was frozen in fear. Her watery eyes were closed shut as she bends forward towards the ground, hoping that she won't share the same fate as the rogue ninja.

From the tree canopy, a snakehead peered out only to find the frighten girl in front of its eyes. It cautiously lowered its head to Inari as its tail came out of the tree canopy to stroke the girl's hair.

"It's all right little one, I have no intentions to harm you in any, shape, or form." The python said to her calmly.

"Y-Y-You're Kobura!" Inari exclaimed after she lifted her head up to see him. "My mother told me all about you. You're known as the Protector of the Forest and also Guardian of many young Forest Kunochi. You even have an infinite supply of chakra within you."

"You are mostly right about me little one." Kobura praised her. "But the part of me being the Guardian of a group of Forest Kunochi is just added in to show people how protective I am towards women."

Inari introduced herself and told the legendary python why she was in the forest. Kobura hissed with total misbelieve on how the people in the Hidden Leaf Village treated her and took pity for her. He offered her to live with him and Inari accepted. He told her wipe her tears and be strong for her mother.

After that, Kobura slowly wrap a couple of thick coils around her midsection, trapping her arms to her sides and let it move around her until his tail is long enough to stroke her raven locks.

"Now, let's get you up to the tree." Kobura said softly. "You looked very tired from all the things you went through tonight." He stopped stroking Inari's hair and slowly wrapped her up to the neck.

"Okay." Inari said quietly before she tilted her head down to yawn. Her hair isn't wrapped in his coils so she can have some movement for her head. After that, Kobura used his coils to lift her up to the tree.

Once he got her up to a strong branch that he was resting for the night, Kobura wrapped his coils down to her ankles. Next placed the cocooned girl on the back and begins to use his coils to massage her to sleep.

Inari felt relaxed as she feels the coils wrapped around her body rubbing through her lightweight fabric of her clothing. She gave out a little yawn as her eyes begin to droop.

"That's it Inari dear." Kobura said softly to her. "Let my coils help you drift you to sleep." After he finished, Kobura gently squeezed her body.

The young girl sighed as she felt the gentle squeeze on her body and slowly closed her eyes as she drifted off to sleep. All she knows is that tomorrow morning; she begins her new life in the forest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

It was now winter in the forest. The snow was falling from the sky and the trees were bare.

Inari was now twelve years old. She wore a tank top with shorts. She wore a pair of sandals that has one thick strap to secure her feet, making it easy for her to slip them on or off. She still had her mother's choker locket around her neck. Her long raven hair was now draped down to her hips. Her hair was covered with snowflakes.

She already made her final preparations for the winter. She knew that hunting for food in that time was scarce. Inari had a very good sense of direction on how to get around in the forest. Kobura taught her to control her chakra at ages seven and eight. He also taught her how to do the tiger claw jutsu; the tiger form jutsu, shadow clone jutsu, substitution jutsu and summoning jutsu to summon a giant Tiger named Yuuta the Tiger King. If she had enough chakra to do a summoning jutsu but not enough for Yuuta, she can summon another giant tiger named Sora the Tiger Queen at ages nine and ten. Kobura taught her how to use the tiger form jutsu and the tiger claw jutsu combination to hunt wild boar at age eleven. She dashed through the snow-covered ground until she met her destination.

She moved the medium sized boulder to the side and went inside the hole and closed the entrance by placing the boulder in front of it. She navigated through the dark cavern. She saw the stalactite and stalagmite formations when she walked through. Inari kept walking until she saw the fifteen-meter python she knew at the beginning.

"You're back." Kobura said to her kindly. "I see that your hair was adorned in snowflakes."

"Yeah, it always done that but the snowflakes will melt in my hair, making it wet." Inari replied as she was sitting on her knees, brushing her long, wet locks with her hairbrush. She slipped off her sandals. After that she lied on her back with her head resting on Kobura's thick tail and her hair cascading to her left side. Preparing her for her winter ritual that she was accustomed to since she was little.

Knowing that she was ready, Kobura revealed his fangs and strike her right arm causing the girl to flinch a bit. He injected sleep-inducing venom that he was well known for. It will start taking its effects on her between fifteen to thirty minutes. After he pulled his fangs out of her arm, it bled a little.

A couple seconds after that, he slowly yet timely wrap a coil around her ankles and glided up and around her calves. After nine minutes, Inari's up to her elbows in Kobura's coils. His coils that was wrapped around her kept gliding around her as Kobura's tail moved around the upper part of her midsection, trapping her arms in the process. He began to wrap his coils around her breasts. He finally got her up to her neck but kept his tail moving around her until it was long enough for him wrap a coil around her forehead.

Kobura then use his infinite chakra to use his coils to keep Inari warm throughout the winter. Inari loved the feel of the warmth that he provided her. Her eyes begin to droop from the effects of the venom Kobura ejected her with. It only took a few minutes after her body was cocooned for the venom to lull Inari to a long, deep sleep. Kobura rested after he was sure she was okay.

Months had passed and winter became spring. Kobura woke up and sensed that winter had passed. He knew that the venom would wear off on her by now. He gently squeezed his coils and vibrated them to stir her from her slumber. She groaned as she opened her eyes, it took her a while to be fully awake from the long slumber Inari had. Kobura loosened his coils so she can get up to slip her sandals on and stretch a bit.

They got out of the dark underground cavern to see the beauty of springtime. It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the light. Yet, enjoyed the warmth of the sun's rays on her.

"It's been a while sense I started to live in the forest." Inari admitted.

"Yes, six or seven years to be precise." Kobura replied. "What made you say that?"

"Well, it's been a while since my mother died and I wish to see her grave but I got banished from the Leaf Village." Inari answered. "Even if I want to go back to see her, I would be asking to be killed."

"Inari, I have two disguise jutsus to help you solve this problem." Kobura replied.

"What are these two disguise jutsus Kobura?" Inari asked anxiously.

"The Age Transformation Jutsu and the Body Change Jutsu." The python answered.

"What do each jutsu do?" Inari asked.

"The Age Transformation Jutsu alters your age and your body change to your ideal age you choose. While the Body Change Jutsu allows you to alter your features of your hair, eyes and clothes." The python answered.

"Okay." Inari nodded in complete understanding of the two Jutsus work.

She followed Kobura's descriptions on the hand sign sequence for the Age Transformation Jutsu.

"Age Transformation Jutsu, twenty-two years old!" Inari exclaimed. After that, a huge puff of smoke covered her and when it cleared her body, she went to a lazy creek to see her reflection. When she got there, she saw that her body had an hourglass figure and longer hair. She was thrilled that her new jutsu worked.

She's ready for the next jutsu, Kobura told her this jutsu she had to do two parts. She had to do the facial features first and her clothes after that.

Inari followed Kobura's descriptions on the hand sign sequence for the Body Change Jutsu.

"Body Change Jutsu." With that her hand begin to glow with chakra and went to the creek to see her reflection. She traced the tips of both middle and index fingers along her eye markings causing them to disappear. Then Inari change her light green slit pupil eyes into black round pupil eyes and change her raven hair into brunette hair. She took out her purple cloth ribbon and changed it into a headband that had a Hidden Grass Village Symbol on the metal part of the headband. She also changed her mother's choker locket into a simple cloth band choker. After she put her headband on her forehead, she formed a hand sign and closed her eyes. After that, a puff of smoke concealed her and seconds later, the smoked cleared and her clothes changed into the clothes that people from the Grass Village would wear.

Before they went to the Hidden Leaf Village. Kobura changed into a twelve- inch version of himself. Inari hid him under her long loose sleeve of her disguise.

After she got permission from the guard, she entered the Leaf Village. She then immediately went to the graveyard.

After she got to the graveyard, Inari search the place for her mother's tombstone. After a few hours of searching she found her mother's tombstone. Inari was shock to see the tombstone defiled by the Leaf Villagers. She believed that it was defiled when she was in exile. Deep inside of Inari her anger and bitterness got to the point where she completely had it with the Hidden Leaf Village but she never showed it in front of her mother's grave.

She got onto her knees in front of her and rolled up her sleeve to let Kobura out. He coiled himself beside her. She pulled out a flower and placed it in front of the tombstone.

_Mother, it's been a while since my exile from the village. I'm sorry that I am not in my true form to pay your respect but I have to do this so I can be in this village without having myself killed._ Inari thought to her mother. Her heart felt heavy for her death. Kobura looked at the disguised girl. Inari didn't move an inch for a few minutes after she got onto her knees. She reflected the times she spent time with her mother and how they endured being hated by the villagers.

"Inari, Inari." Kobura whispered to her as he squeezed on her arm. "I wish that could we stay here a little longer but we have to go before someone saw you here. If they saw through your disguise you'll be in danger of getting killed." With that she nodded and turned her attention to the tombstone. She took out another flower for her mother, ready to place it in front of the tombstone.

_Goodbye my mother, I'm sorry that I can't stay here longer. I have to return to the forest where I came from. _She thought as she place the flower in front of the tombstone. Her heart felt heavy as she first got here. _Farewell, I hope that Kobura and me will visit you again soon._ With that she kissed her hand and placed it on the tombstone as her final tribute to her mother. She pulled up her sleeve and hide Kobura underneath. After that, she left the graveyard and the gates to the Leaf Village after that.

After she returned to the forest, she let out Kobura. He changed back into his original form. Inari formed a hand sign and released the two jutsus, changing back into her original form as well. They agreed that they could visit her mother's grave every six years.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

It was a bright, sunny day. The perfect weather conditions for summer.

Inari disguised herself as a twenty-six year old Hidden Mist Kunochi. Her raven hair was changed into shoulder length auburn hair and her slit pupil, light green eyes into round pupil, hazel eyes. Her ribbon changed into a headband with a Hidden Mist Village symbol on the metal part of the headband.

She went into the graveyard after granting entry to the Leaf Village from its guard at the gateway. After Inari found her mother's tombstone, she got onto her knees and pulled up her long, loose sleeve to let Kobura know he can come out. Even though she still hated the Leaf Village for the way the defiled her tombstone, she still never expressed it in front of her mother's grave. Inari placed a flower in front of the tombstone.

_Mother, it's been six years since the last time Kobura and I visited you. Yet, this time I use a different disguise so the people in the village won't be suspicious at me._ Inari thought as she gave a little smile on the tombstone. They stayed here for a few minutes. After that, she took out another flower to give her mother.

_Goodbye mother, we'll see you again in the next six years._ Inari thought as placed the flower in front of the tombstone and kissed her hand and placed it on the tombstone before she pulled up her sleeve so Kobura can wrap around her forearm before she pulled the sleeve over him and got up to her feet and left before anyone saw her here.

After Inari left the Leaf Village and headed deep into the forest, she let out Kobura. After Kobura was let out he changed into his original form.

_Okay, it looks like the area is all clear._ Inari thought after she looked all the surrounding area. She formed a hand sign and released the two disguise jutsus causing her to be concealed by a puff of smoke.

After the smoke cleared, Inari was back in her eighteen year old form. Her raven locks cascaded down to her mid-thigh. Her body had matured into an alluring hourglass figure. She wore a pair of flat-heeled sandals. It consisted of a thin strap that was located close to her toes and two straps located at the back of the sandal, made to wrap around her ankles so the sandals won't slip off. She wore a pair of white micro-mini shorts with a low rise that went to her hips and a small light blue tube top that revealed her cleavage and her entire midriff. It matched the color of the choker of her mother's locket around her neck.

Kobura wondered where had the time gone to as he saw Inari in her true form. He remembered how he found her when she was six years old after being banished from the Leaf Village after the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed away and the times he taught her to control her chakra, perform jutsu and witnessing the first time Inari hunted wild boar.

She had grown into an attractive young lady and a skilled Kunochi.

For the rest of the day, Inari had done some ninjutsu and taijutsu training with Kobura. After that, she went to the creek to get some fish for lunch. Later on, she hunted wild boar for dinner. She used the spare time to relax until its nighttime.

Inari used her chakra to run up the tree where Kobura was. She got up to a strong branch where the python rested; he wrapped three coils around it so he won't fall. Once she's on that branch she took off her sandals and placed them on another branch nearby. She sat down and straightened her legs as she fixed the position of her long tresses so she won't sit on it and had it wrapped in his coils. She lied on her back where her head was facing Kobura.

Once Inari was ready, Kobura wrapped a coil around her ankles. He slowly glided his tail up and around her calves. Her knees were wrapped in his embrace as Kobura worked on her thighs. He kept wrapping his coils around her as his tail covered Inari's navel, trapping her hands and wrists. Inari sighed, as she loved the feel of his soft, smooth tail wrapping around her bare skin as he moved his tail around her midriff, pinning her arms to her sides. He then he coiled around her tube top as his tail kept moving up and around her body, replacing smaller coils with thicker ones. Kobura was finally finished when he wrapped her up to her neck. He looked at Inari and thought that he find Inari cute in his coils.

After that, he used his coils to massage her sleep. Inari always find that she felt safe and comfortable in his coils. She even enjoyed the feel of his soft, smooth coils rubbing her body. Kobura then gave her few gentle squeezes on her body to help Inari drift her to sleep.

_Sleep well, my beautiful Inari._ The python thought as he lied his head down and drifted off to sleep, knowing that she and Kobura would sleep peacefully tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Disclaimer: I do not own the song "Beautiful Wish" or the English translation of this song.

_What's taking my lord so long? It's already four or five hours past noon and it's not like him to be so late._ The young Medical-Nin thought before he pushed the bridge of his eyeglasses with his left middle and index fingers.

He had gray hair that went pass his shoulders, which was tied into a neat ponytail and had a pair of black eyes behind his eyeglasses. He wore a dark purple top that had the collar loosely fitted with a white shirt underneath. The Medical-Nin had a really light yellow sash tied around his waist. His pants were the same color as his top. The bag where he had his kunai and shiriken were tied onto his right leg. He wore a dark blue headband on his forehead with a music note engraved on the metal part of it. His dark purple fingerless gloves with a small metal plate on each one almost reached to his elbows. His open-toed ninja shoes had the same color as his headband.

A couple of minutes later, he sighed as he heard the grumbling sound of his stomach. The last time he ate was around breakfast time at his village.

_Looks like I have no choice but go into the forest to find something for me to eat._ The gray-haired ninja thought as he went deeper into the forest. He knew that if stayed here too long a ninja would find him and he will be too weak to fight the opposing ninja from his hunger.

Twenty minutes later, the hungry ninja hopped from one tree to another in his search for food. He hoped that he could find some before his lord returned. He rested on a branch, as he was tired from his search. He let out a little groan as his stomach growled from hunger. He closed his eyes as the young Medical-Nin tried to conserve his energy.

_When I wake up, hearing my name in someone's voice_

The hungry ninja woke up. He sat up wondering whether the voice was real or he started to hear things that were not there.

_Floating above the blue waves within the sea's cradle _

_I dreamt _

Hearing that same voice again, he decided that it was real. He got down from the tree and began his search on foot.

_Somewhere in this sea, someone's speaking in an arguing voice_

_I'm getting close; I can hear the sound of the voice getting stronger._ The Medical-Nin thought as he stopped to push the shrubs of a big bush to the side, only to see Inari from a short distance.

_Hmm. I might need to get a better view from the trees than here._ The ninja thought as he sprang up to a tree that was closest to him and carefully hopped from one branch to another without being seen.

_From a crying heart, love can't be born_

_Only sadness overflows_

As he got closer, he tried to get a good look at her but couldn't see her face. The gray-haired ninja finally got to a tree that was close to Inari. He got onto a strong branch and watched her, as he stayed hidden in the tree.

Inari was sitting straight up with her legs together tucked to her right side on a flat rock that was a foot high. Her eyes were closed as she sang. Her mother's locket was opened as it played music of the song that Inari's singing to.

_From the fragments of a beautiful wish of the sea,_

_There are feelings of wanting to be born, embracing light._

_In the orange sea, blending into the sunset_

_The tears of the world sleep._

_Was the world being born what called me…?_

_At the bottom of the deep sea, I could hear a voice._

_No matter how dark, or painful place I'm in…_

_From the fragments of a beautiful wish of the sea,_

_There are feelings of wanting to be born, opening away from the darkness._

_Also in the purple sea, blending in the morning glow_

_My wishes broke through._

_Some day, the source of all the fights and sadness_

_Will all vanish. That day will come._

_I want to sing with a singular love…in the blue sea_

_Someone sweetly spoke out my name._

_So they would know of my wish._

_From the fragments of a beautiful wish of the sea,_

_There are feelings of wanting to be born, embracing light._

_In the orange sea, blending into the sunset_

_The tears of the world sleep._

After that, she hummed along the music of her mother's locket until she stopped only to hear the last bit of the music play until it stopped.

After the locket stopped playing, Inari used her left hand to close the locket up before she opened her light green eyes halfway reminiscing that tender moment.

_Amazing, she sang that song so beautifully._ The Medical-Nin thought as he felt a little soft and warm towards her. 

_Yet, why is she in the forest by herself and where does she come from?_ He thought curiously. As he was deep in thought, Kobura spotted him. The Medical-Nin wasn't aware of that until he let out a loud cry as the python's coils bound his legs tightly.

Inari let out a little gasp as she heard a loud cry that was close by. Inari concentrated her chakra to her feet and ran up to the tree. The chakra that she channeled to her feet made her to run up the tree so she can find out what was happening.

As got to the source of the loud cry, she was surprised to see the gray-haired Medical-Nin using his free arms to fight off the thick coil that Kobura wrapped around his neck. He was breathing heavily as the coils were getting tighter on his body.

"Kobura what was going on?" She asked to her python protector.

"I found this ninja watching you from the branch that you're standing on now. I thought that he would harm you. So I snared him in my coils only to share the same fate that other rogue ninja had before him." Kobura replied as he got strong grip on the Medical-Nin. "His village might be allies to the Leaf Village."

"With all do respect, please tell him to release me. I don't have any intentions to harm you and my village isn't allied with the Hidden Leaf Village." The struggling Medical-Nin pleaded for his life.

"It's okay Kobura, you can release him." Inari told Kobura knowing that the ninja was honest.

"Very well then." Kobura replied as he released his grip on the Medical-Nin. The gray-haired ninja was on his knees and hands as he was relieved that his life was spared and be able to breathe.

"Are you okay?" Inari asked as she got down to her knees.

"Yeah, thanks for calling the snake off from killing me though." The ninja replied.

"Your welcome. Can you get yourself up or should I help you?" Inari asked.

"I can get myself up thank you." The ninja answered as he got up to his feet slowly.

"Oh, forgive me. I haven't introduced myself. I'm Inari and you already met Kobura. And you are?" Inari asked.

"My name is Kabuto. I'm a Jonin and Medical-Nin from the Hidden Sound Village." The ninja answered.

"Nice to meet you, Kabuto." Inari replied as she gave Kabuto a friendly smile.

"Huh?" Inari responded as she heard the sound of grumbling.

"Forgive me, I was looking for something for me to eat but I end up finding you instead." Kabuto's face was blushing, as he was embarrassed from his grumbling stomach.

"Oh, not at all." Inari replied. "I know a place where I find some wild boar."

"Okay." Kabuto answered.

Kabuto followed Inari who had Kobura in his smaller form of himself hanged loosely around her neck. They got to a part of the forest where wild boar roamed freely.

"Uh huh, now there's a pretty big boar to fill both of us up." Inari commented quietly as she spotted a huge boar walking by. She, Kabuto and Kobura were behind a huge group of bushes so they were not noticed by the wild boar.

"Kabuto would you please watch Kobura for me? I'm going to bring back that prize winning boar for dinner tonight." Inari placed Kobura around his neck.

"Sure, but how are you going to do that? That one has huge tusks." Kabuto remarked.

"Don't you worry. I'm a skilled huntress when it comes to these big boys and I know two jutsus that can help me on that." Inari told him assuring tone. She quickly and accurately done a hand sign sequence.

"Tiger Form Jutsu." Inari responded quietly as a puff of smoke concealed her.

Kabuto waited for the smoke to clear up. Once it did, he saw her but not in her normal form. Inari's ears were changed into tiger ears. Each cheek on her face had long whiskers and she had an orange tiger tail coming out from her bottom. Yet, she still had her human form.

"If you think that's surprising, watch me how I get a wild boar." Inari added. She then sprang out from the bush. As she was in midair, she quickly and accurately done another hand sign sequence.

"Tiger Claw Jutsu." Inari responded as all of her fingernails grew into long, sharp daggers.

As the wild boar saw her lunging at its direction, it squealed as it scampered for its life.

Once Inari landed on her feet, she went after it with a burst of speed. The boar tried to lose her by turning left and right but Inari made sharp turns that the boar had made, as she was closer to her prize. The boar let its squeals of pain as Inari's long, dagger like nails plunged into its stomach, killing it in seconds.

"Remarkable, that Tiger Form Jutsu of yours must of somehow made you faster and agile than before." Kabuto told her in awe.

"Yes, it had." Inari replied. "The Tiger Form Jutsu not only doubled my speed and agility but it also doubled my strength, after all wild boar are definitely not light weighted you know."

"This jutsu also made my hearing and eyesight more like a tiger. Very useful for knowing where the boar was hiding and know it's movements." Inari added. Inari released the two jutsus changing her back into her normal form.

After they left the area, Kabuto's hunger was finally subsided after he and Inari had their fill. Kobura didn't eat with them because he already ate and took some time for his meal to digest.

"Isn't this forest looked great at this time of day, Kabuto?" Inari asked as she and Kabuto were walking the forest. Kobura was around Inari's neck as they enjoy the walked along. She admired how the forest looked when the sky changed into orange, red and pink as the sun began to set.

"It sure looks beautiful." Kabuto admitted. "Inari, what was the name of the song that you sang earlier ago?"

"The song that I sang earlier ago was called 'Beautiful Wish'." Inari answered. "It's a lullaby that my mother used to sing when I was little."

"I see. Well that was a beautiful song you sang, it sounded pretty soothing." Kabuto commented.

"Thank you." Inari replied.

"Yet, don't you it's dangerous to be in the forest? Rogue ninjas made the forest their hiding spot from Hunter-Nin." Kabuto asked with concern.

"I know that. I know how to use my jutsu to protect myself. I also have Kobura with me as my protection. But thank you for your concern." Inari answered.

"I have been living here since Kobura found me." Inari told Kabuto.

"How long have you lived in the forest for?" Kabuto asked.

"For twelve years." Inari answered confidently.

"How old were you when Kobura found you?" Kabuto asked her.

"He found when I six years old." Inari answered.

"You lived here for twelve whole years since you were six years old. That makes you eighteen years old, right?" Kabuto asked curiously.

"Yes. You got my age correctly." Inari praised him.

"Well, looks like I'm a year older than you." Kabuto commented. "But why were out in the forest at very young age? Children at their age were not ready to go out there on their own."

"I was banished from the Hidden Leaf Village after the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked there." Inari answered, as she felt upset from it. "My mother died underneath the rubble of a destroyed building."

"What did the Nine-Tailed fox attack ever done to you?" Kabuto asked.

"People in the village believed that my first six years of my existence in the village brought it here. No matter how many times I tried to tell them that I didn't bring it there, they never listened to me as they were greatly filled with hatred, my innocent words fell in deaf's ears and to made things harder for me, they threw kunai and shiriken at me. They even tried to kill me by raining needles that had poison in it on me. I even had to evade a pack a vicious dogs that they sick on me in order to get out of that village alive!" Inari explained bitterly. "And when I was twelve, I returned to the Leaf Village in my two disguise jutsus only to pay my respect towards my mother. When I found her grave, the people in that village defiled it when I was exiled. It made me even more enraged to the village for what they done but I never expressed those feelings in front of her grave. I even visited her grave the second time a few days ago from now."

"Before all of that happened, everyone hated me and my mother. I don't even understand why. Even my 'grandparents' hated me ever since the day I was born. Before I was banished my grandmother told me that I have eyes of a treacherous snake!" Inari grew a bit bitterer.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me for my bitterness when I answered your question." Inari apologized to Kabuto.

"You don't need to be apologize for that." Kabuto forgave her. "I too would hold a bitter grudge on that village if they treated me like dirt and banished for me something that I didn't do."

"Thanks." Inari sighed with relief. "When I started to live in the forest, it felt like haven to me. It cleansed me from the sorrow of my mother. I even started to think that I'm better off in the forest than in the Leaf Village. I'm considered myself as a forest girl or better yet a forest kunochi."

"How did you survive through the winter though?" Kabuto asked.

"I used my sleep-inducing venom on her to help her sleep through the winter. The venom wares off as soon as springtime comes." Kobura explained.

"I see." Kabuto was intrigued on the python's explanation. "But Inari, don't you have a father?"

"I'm afraid not, my grandparents and everyone in the Leaf Village forbid my mother to talk about him but she told that he gave my mother that same locket around my neck as a gift." Inari told him depressingly. "I never knew his name or what he looks like."

"All I know was that I always wondering why am I in this world. I wondered about my purpose of being here. My mother told me that my unique traits I had made me stand out from the others and someday when I grew older, I would have a man who will accept me for who I am. I wanted to be accepted by other people and to feel that I'm worthy to them. Yet, I don't know other villages would accept me as their own besides the Leaf Village. Even if the village accepted me, they're might be a chance that Leaf Shinobi would come to this village for a mission and if they recognized me years ago after my banishment, I'll be killed at the spot." Inari told him, as she was emotionally lost in her own fog.

"Inari, I considered you as worthy to my eyes." Kabuto told her to cheer her up. "You have a lot of potential of being a Kunochi in fact I'm offering to live with in the Hidden Sound Village. I'll give some time to talk to Kobura about it."

"I think you should take the offer, Inari." Kobura encouraged her.

"Yeah, but wouldn't be alone?" Inari asked him with concern.

"Inari ever since I found you twelve years ago, I vowed to take care of you and protect you ever since. I followed wherever you went." Kobura told her eloquently. "Besides, you need to be with your own kind."

"Very well, then." Inari insisted.

"Kabuto, Kobura and I will accept your, huh?" Inari cut short as she felt a faint vibration coming down her back.

"What is it, Inari?" Kabuto asked, wondering why she didn't finish her sentence.

"I sense a faint vibration coming from that direction." Inari answered as turned her attention to her side of the forest. "I sensed a high chakra level from the distance."

"Are you sure?" Kabuto asked.

"Yes." Inari answered anxiously. "I have an ability to sense people that has high levels of chakra when I was thirteen years old."

_Could it be that the same high chakra level she sensed is his… _Kabuto thought as he saw Inari sprinted off in that direction.

"Inari, please wait for me!" Kabuto exclaimed as he went after her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"I'm sensing the source of the high chakra level getting stronger. It means that we're getting closer." Inari informed Kabuto as they hopped from one branch to another. The strong vibrations coming down her back made her more eager, she wanted to know where this high level of chakra coming from.

When they got to the location of the source of the high level of chakra, Inari, Kabuto and Kobura saw a man looking at a lazy river. Wanting to see up close, Inari along with Kobura around her neck, hopped to a branch that was closest to him. Kabuto followed along.

Once they got onto the branch, Inari got onto her hands and knees as she slowly crawled forward, so she, Kobura, and Kabuto can see the man up close without being noticed.

The man looked around to see if the coast was clear. He lifted his left hand and pulled his face until it's ripped off of his head.

Inari was in total shock as her eyes were bulged wide open from seeing the man's face ripped off in front of her eyes. Kobura was baffled from what just happened.

"Calm down, Inari. The face that he ripped off was part of his disguise." Kabuto assured her as he placed a comforting hand on her tensed shoulder.

"Yeah, but the face looked too real to be part of his disguise." Inari replied as she looked at Kabuto.

"Well, about that part, huh?" Kabuto didn't had the chance to explain after that heard the sound of the branch slowly breaking off.

"Looks like we have no choice but to bail." Inari commented to Kabuto.

"I have to agree on that one." Kabuto replied.

Before the branch gave out on them, they quickly sprang off the branch. Kabuto leapt to the direction away from the river while Inari leapt toward it. When Inari was in midair, she channeled her chakra to feet. As she hit the water feet first, she was standing on it thanks to her chakra.

The man noticed her. Inari then sprang up to the air. She quickly twisted her body until she was on her back. She finally thrust her chest forward as she back flipped once in the air before she landed on her feet. After she landed on her feet, she brushed the strands of her hair away from the face. Kobura was a little shaken from her acrobatic trick but he recovered.

"Kabuto, where were you? Didn't I told you to stay here until I returned from the Leaf Village earlier ago?" The man scolded him after he noticed him walking up behind him.

"Please sir, don't be so mad at him. He went into the woods to find some food for himself but instead he…" Inari pleaded to the man on Kabuto's behalf.

The man turned his head around to see Inari. Inari gasped as she got a good look at him.

_That man, he has the same eye markings as I do. He also has long black hair and slit pupil eyes as well, but his eye color are golden-yellow compare to my light green ones. His skin is way paler than mine._ Inari thought, as her eyes were wide open from the shock she was already in.

The man's eyes scanned Inari's face. His golden-yellow eyes were wide open as his eyes met the choker locket around her neck.

_That girl, why does she have Hana's locket around her neck?_ The raven-haired man thought, as he looked really hard at the gold locket. He recovered from the shock quickly than Inari and looked at her as he grinned at her.

"Tell me, how do you found me so quickly without me noticing your presence?" The man asked her slyly.

"Well, I got the ability to sense people with high chakra level when I was thirteen years old. My search to the source of this high chakra level came from you, sir. Kabuto accompanied me and Kobura along the way and we hid in the tree so we observe you without being noticed." Inari answered.

"I see." The man commented and turned to Kabuto. "And Kabuto how do you found her before all this happened?"

"I was searching in the woods for food but I end up discovering her after hearing the sound of her voice." Kabuto answered confidently. "However, I end up being caught by Kobura who eventually spared me with help from her."

"Very well, Kabuto." The man replied and turned his attention to Inari.

"Exactly, how old are you right now?" The man asked.

"I'm eighteen years old, sir." Inari answered.

"And your name?" The man added.

"Inari sir." Inari answered.

"When do you get that locket and how long do you have it for?" The man asked.

"My mother gave it to me when I was six years old and I have that around my neck for twelve years." Inari answered. "She died under the rubble of a destroyed building a long time ago when the Nine-Tailed Fox attacked the Leaf Village."

"Did she talk about your father?" The man questioned her.

"I'm afraid not, the Leaf Village and my grandparents told her that she was not allowed to talk about him, but she told me that he gave her that locket a long time ago." Inari answered.

"Why did you live in the forest, are they worried about what will happened to you living here?" The man asked.

"Tuh, why do they even bother caring about me? Everyone 'hated' me and my mother before the Nine-Tailed fox attacked the village, my so-called "grandparents" hated me from the time I was born!" Inari scoffed angrily.

"After the Nine-Tailed Fox was sealed away, they believe that my first six years of my existence in this village brought here and no matter how many times I tried to tell them that I had done nothing to it here, my innocent words didn't got through to their thick heads which was cause by their great hatred towards me! After that, they banished me from the village and threw shiriken and kunai at me as well as raining poison-filled needles on and even released a pack of vicious dogs on me just to get rid of me before I even got out of their alive!" Inari told the man with her eyes narrowed with bitter rage and hatred towards the village. Her hands were in a pair of tight fists as they were shaking from her anger.

"I went deep into the forest not only to mourn from the death of my mother but also started to feel anger and hatred for the village in my frail heart and as life would have it, Kobura found me after he killed a rogue ninja. He took pity for my ill fortune and took me in." Inari began to feel calm after that part.

"Years went by, my forest life cleansed me from the loss of my mother." Inari added, as she felt calm.

"When I was twelve years old, I went back to the Hidden Leaf Village in my two disguise jutsus to pay my mother with respect but I was in rude awakening. Just when I found her grave, the people in that village defiled it. After seeing the sight of her grave, my rage spiked up to the point that I had the final straw with the village but I never expressed it in front of her grave. In spite of that, I returned to her grave to pay my respect towards her for the second time a few days ago." Inari continued her voice began to sound bitter at first but later returned to her calm state. "I planned to visit her grave for every six years."

_I knew that Hana's affection towards me would made her be hated by the Leaf Village but having them banish a young girl for crime that she never committed and defiled her grave is below the line!_ The man thought as his eyes were narrowed with disgust.

"Uh, sir?" Inari asked.

"Yes, what is it?" The man responded.

"Who are you?" Inari asked the man as her hand held the gold locket, which was attached to the light blue choker. "How do you know my mother and her locket?

"My name is Orochimaru, your mother was my lover a long time ago and the locket you are wearing now, I gave her as a gift." The man answered easily.

"Then why did you leave the village?" Inari asked. "Why couldn't you take my mother with you?

"I left the village because the Hokage in the village finds my ideas too twisted for me to become the next Hokage." Orochimaru replied. "I had thought that finding the Immortality Jutsu and mastering it would me become the ultimate ninja but other people and the Hokage himself think that was sick and unethical because they are blind with excessive peace from the village and they were judgmental on my brilliant ideas. I know that it was hard to part from my lover but I couldn't risk taking her with me because it was too dangerous for me to do that."

"I see." Inari remarked.

"I never realize until now what your mother tried to tell me before that." Orochimaru added. "She tries to tell me that she was pregnant with you back then."

"Meaning?" Inari questioned, as she had no idea what he was talking about.

"It means that I'm your father." Orochimaru replied. "I'm the man that your mother was forbidden to speak of, did you understand?"

"Yes, I understand. Everything makes sense to me now." Inari answered, as her dense fog that she once had began to fade from her mind.

"So Inari, how about you and Kobura live in the Hidden Sound Village and become a Kunochi?" Orochimaru asked.

"I accept your offer father." Inari replied.

"A wise choice Inari. A very wise choice." Orochimaru praised her. He held his daughter in his embrace knowing that he will never misuse her in any way, shape, or form.

"You know before I found you, Kabuto made the same offer you made to me. I was about to accept it." Inari commented.

"Kabuto is this true?" Orochimaru asked as he turned his attention to Kabuto.

"I did Lord Orochimaru. She has a lot of potential to be a Kunochi. I even witnessed her how she did her jutsu." Kabuto admitted as he pushed his eyeglasses in with his right hand.

"Very well then, let us leave. Your mother doesn't want you stay here a minute longer." Orochimaru told Inari as he turned his attention towards her.

"Yeah." Inari answered as they left the forest.

Hours passed, the sky went dark after the sun went completely down. Inari along with Kobura around her neck followed Kabuto and her newly found father to the Sound Village as they hopped from branch to branch.

"Father, how far are we to the Hidden Sound Village?" Inari asked.

"It won't be long Inari, dear." Orochimaru assured her. "Eager to start your new life in your new home?"

"Yeah, yet I'm a little nervous. I was isolated from civilization for a quite a long time." Inari replied.

"Don't worry, you'll feel accustomed to your new life. It would be better than your previous lives at the Leaf Village and in the forest. You won't even have to worry about hunting for your own food." Kabuto told her in a calm tone. With that Inari looked forward to see the Hidden Sound Village.

An hour and a half later, they made to the Sound Village. After they went inside, a fifteen-year-old ninja with short sliver hair with a zigzag part it. He had two small red circles above his eyebrows and red eye markings below his light green eyes. He was accompanied with a Kunochi with pinkish red hair and another ninja with six arms. Both were no older than fourteen years old.

"We welcome you back from your trip Lord Orochimaru and Kabuto-Sensei, all is well in the Sound Village." The silver-haired ninja bowed humbly. The other two joined him.

"Well done Kimimaro, I knew I could count on you while Kabuto and I were away." Orochimaru praised him.

As her father talked to his faithful ninja, Inari was curious of what's going on. She carefully walked up to him and peeked from behind him.

The six-armed shinobi lifted his head up to see the surroundings, as he done that he spotted Inari. With a grin curled up from the left corner of his mouth, he sneaked around Orochimaru and Kimimaro without being spotted by them or the Kunochi next to him.

After recognizing at the fact that she was spotted, Inari quickly went behind her father.

"Hey there, are you recruited by Lord Orochimaru for your looks or is it just me?" The six-armed playfully asked Inari as he was standing her by her side.

"Well…actually, I…uh…came here to be a Kunochi." Inari answered nervously as her face was blushing.

"A kunochi eh? Well, to tell ya the truth, you'll make a very cute lookin' Kunochi in the entire village." The shinobi commented as he tried to flirt with her.

"Oh please…you're making me…well…blush." Inari said sheepishly as her face still blushing.

Kabuto watched Inari and the six-armed shinobi interact. His black eyes narrowed as his hand reached his weapon bag. His index finger was hooked onto the ring of the kunai that was almost visible to them, preparing to pull it out to attack the shinobi in case he done something bad to her.

"Oh don't so modest to yourself." The six-armed shinobi said confidently as three of his six arms curled around Inari's back. "A cute lookin' chick like you deserves a devilish good lookin' shinobi. In fact, I bet that you even come across a cute lookin' guy in your life before right?"

Without warning, the shinobi yelped in pain as a Kunochi yanked his ear that Inari saw earlier. Causing his arms to uncurl from her.

"Kidoumaru, you call yourself Lord Orochimaru's bodyguard? What the heck are doing behind there?" The pinkish red hair Kunochi chastised him as she got a good grip on his ear.

"Ouch, Tayuya I was just chatting with a cute lookin' chick that just spotted." Kidoumaru responded as he used one of his six hands to point at Inari.

Kabuto put his kunai back into his bag, knowing that Inari's okay.

Tayuya looked at the direction where Kidoumaru was pointing at only to see Inari. Her brown eyes took a good look at Inari. She then scoffed at her only to think that Inari looked like a tramp with a capital 't' in it.

"Tayuya, Kidoumaru what are you doing? You two suppose to be over here where me and Lord Orochimaru can see you." Kimimaro ordered.

"If you want to know why both of us were behind Lord Orochimaru, look where I'm pointing at." Tayuya responded as her thumb pointed at Inari.

As Kimimaro looked to where Tayuya's pointing at, he saw Inari. Seconds after his light green eyes looked at Inari, they were shot wide open. He was taken by surprised from her appearance that his nose began bleed.

"Oh dear, this so embarrassing." Kimimaro muttered to himself as he used his left hand to cover his bleeding nose.

"Are you all right?" Inari asked as she took a step forward to Kimimaro, his face turned bright red from embarrassment.

"I'm fine thank you, miss." Kimimaro replied as he took a step back.

"Kimimaro here." Kabuto said to him as he handed him a hankerchief to help him with his bloody nose.

"Thank you Kabuto-Sensei." Kimimaro replied as took the hankerchief from Kabuto and placed it up to his nostrils. "Please forgive me my lord, I have to retire for the night."

"Very well then Kimimaro." Orochimaru responded. Kimimaro bowed and power walked to his room.

"I think both me and Kidoumaru will hit the hay too." Tayuya said to Orochimaru.

"I can stay up, cerfew won't start in thirty minutes and maybe get to know the new, ouch!" Kidmaro yelped as Tayuya yanked his ear.

"We're going to bed right now, Kidoumaru!" Tayuya scolded him as she dragged him by the ear. She turned her head around to see Inari looking at them.

_I'm keeping an eye on you whore._ Tayuya thought as her brown eyes glared into Inari's light green ones.

After they were gone, Inari was nervous but confused. However she was okay.

After her father lead her and Kobura to her room, she loved how much room there was.

After wishing her goodnight, Orochimaru left. Inari placed Kobura on the floor to change into his original form. She took off her sandals and got under the covers. She admired how soft her new bed was and went to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The loud ringing of the alarm clock rude fully awoke Kobura as his head was buried inside of his coils trying to block some of the noise it produced. Inari let out a faint groan from the ringing alarm clock as her body felt too comfortable to wake up. She tried throwing her pillow over her head to drown the loud sound out but she had to get up in order to stop the infernal ringing. She pulled the covers off of her and sat up on her bed, it took her a while to find the off switch on the alarm clock but managed to turn it off.

"Ugh, I don't even know how people still tolerate such noisy contraptions." Kobura grumbled as he watched Inari put the alarm clock back on the nightstand.

"You're not alone on that one, Kobura." Inari commented. "But I'm sure that we'll get accustomed to our new life here and today's the day that Kabuto is taking us on a tour around the village that my father created." Inari tied the straps of her sandals around her ankles. She still wore the same clothing when she was in the forest.

"Oh yes, your father told us that last night before he left the room." Kobura remembered.

"Not only that, he told us that if the tour went well, he and the ninja he chosen would test my ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu skills that I learned from you in past ten years or so." Inari added as she brushed her long raven locks. _That I'm eager as well as anxious; but I'm willing to prove to him that I'm worthy to be a Kunochi of the Village Hidden in the Sound._ She finally put her mother's choker locket around her neck.

"Inari dear, are you up?" Orochimaru asked.

"I'm up father." Inari answered.

"Good morning Inari, I trusted you and Kobura are well rested?" Orochimaru asked as he entered the room.

Orochimaru wore his usual outfit; which consisted of a long khaki tunic that went to his knees that had a snug, black turtleneck that went to the shoulders and curved slightly downward to the upper part of his chest, underneath the loose, short sleeves of his tunic were long black sleeves that was snug to his arms. He wore baggy dark gray pants and a black pair of open-toed ninja shoes. He wore a thick, purple rope around his waist. His earrings were hidden underneath his hair.

"We did father." Inari answered.

"Only until we are rude fully awaken by that noisy alarm clock." Kobura retorted.

Not fazed by Kobura's comment, Orochimaru smiled at him.

"You're not the only one who doesn't like the sound of the alarm clock ringing in the morning. Most people didn't like it ringing while they were asleep." Orochimaru calmly told to Kobura. "Especially Kabuto, he has to wake more earlier that everyone else in the village to start his work."

"Oh." Kobura replied.

"Father, what is in that box you're carrying?" Inari asked as she noticed a small box in his pale hands.

"Why don't you open it and find out, Inari." Orochimaru handed the parcel to his daughter.

After the small box was in her hands, Inari opened the lids and looked into it. Her face lit up as she noticed two garments that resembled a cuffed, strapless top and a cloth with one huge hole on the top while having two small holes on the bottom.

"Oh my gosh, thank you so much father!" Inari said ecstatically. "I may not know what these are but I know they'll be useful weapons." As her right thumb slipped inside the right hole of the second garment as her left index finger hooked the inside left hole as her right eye was closed as she was aiming it as a sling shot.

Orochimaru chuckled a little from her guess.

"No Inari, those are not weapons. They're undergarments." Orochimaru corrected his teenage daughter.

"Uh-undergarments?" Inari opened her right eye as she looked at the fabric garment in a puzzled manner.

"Yes, they are made to wear under your clothing." Orochimaru answered. "But in case you don't know the name of the undergarment you are holding, they're underpants."

"And what is this undergarment?" Inari asked as she pulled out the strapless top as she slightly cocked head to the side.

"That's a bra, it's made to wear around the chest." Orochimaru responded. "To wear your underpants, have one leg go through each hole and pull it up. Oh, before you put them on, both the labels and the hooks that's on the bra are on the back, while your size of your underpants are located inside the back side." He then left Inari to give her privacy. Once the door's closed, Kobura tucked his head inside of his coils to give her privacy as well.

It did not take too long for Inari to take off her clothes to put her bra and underpants on and then put her tube top and shorts back on. Inari felt comfortable in her new bra and underpants.

After that, Kobura changed into his smaller form of himself so he can ride on Inari loosely around her neck as they went out the door.

Thirty seconds later, Kobura and Inari saw Kabuto waiting for them in the hallway.

"I see you two are ready for the tour." Kabuto chortled as he noticed how eager Inari was.

"Yeah, I can't wait to start the tour; I want to see what the Hidden Sound Village look like." Inari excitedly responded as her eyes were widened with curiosity.

"Same here." Kobura added.

They began the tour when Kabuto showed them the cafeteria. Inari and Kobura couldn't believed how much people were gathered in one place for breakfast as they saw people waiting in a line for their breakfast and so much people sitting in tables. After they ate breakfast, they left the cafeteria for their next stop on their tour.

Kabuto took them to his lab. They saw bookcases of medical records, scrolls, and lots of chemistry glasses on the lab table. He even told them not to touch anything in his lab in advance. Three hours later, they left the lab to go to the training grounds.

It took them a half an hour to get to the training grounds. Kobura and Inari were amazed how big the training grounds were; they saw some Sound Shinobi punching and kicking on punching bags to work on their taijutsu, some doing shiriken and kunai target practice and other sparring each other in small sparring arenas.

"Hey there," Inari turned her head only to see a fourteen-year-old boy. "Are you new in our village?" He had big raven hair sticking up to the left side of his head. He had a dark purple Sound Village headband with two gray side protectors on it. He had a small black pupil each eye and wore a grin on his face.

"Yes, she was just willingly got to the village by me and Lord Orochimaru last night." Kabuto answered.

"I was right, I knew that she's new to the Sound Village!" The boy proudly responded. "So, what's your name cutie?"

"The name's Inari," Inari confidently answered to his question. "And my little companion I have with me is Kobura." She pointed the boy with her right index finger to the little python around her neck.

"Cool, you have a pet python around your neck, is it like your little traveling companion too?" The boy asked.

_Pet?_ Kobura thought after the boy's response. _Well, in case you didn't know I'm no ordinary python, I raised her when she was small and my true form is much more bigger than the smaller form I'm currently in._ He slipped his tongue in and out from the boy's haughty behavior.

"Oh, in case I forget, I go by the name of Zaku Abumi." Zaku introduced himself.

"Well. It's great seeing you Zaku, but we have a tour to finish." Inari said.

"Okay, I have get back to training with my comrades." Zaku replied. "Maybe sometime I can show you an awesome trick that involves breaking boards without literally touching them."

"I'll bear in mind." Inari answered before she turned towards Kabuto and left the training grounds.

An hour and a half later, Kabuto showed Inari and Kobura the lounge, as well as the door to her father's throne room, where he assigned missions to the Sound Ninja.

As they walked down almost every hallway, Inari noticed some masked Sound Shinobi as well as teenaged boys at least fourteen years of age hooting and hollering at her as they tried to get her attention. They occasionally gave her long, loud whistles to impress the newly recruited kunochi on the way she looked. She noticed some Sound Kunochi along the way, but they shot dirty looks at her as they quietly discussed how trashy she look in her clothes and how her appearance got so much attention from the guys.

"Uh Kabuto," Inari asked nervously and uncertainty.

"Yeah." Kabuto answered as he peered over his shoulder as he walked.

"Why are the men whistling and go all hyper when they saw me, while the girls…well…felt the opposite from them?" Inari asked as she looked at Kabuto with a confused and worried look in her eyes as she continued walking.

Kabuto stopped walking and used his right hand to rub the back of his head as he was figuring out on how to answer her question. Inari stopped walking as she waited for her answer. He turned around to get her attention.

"Well Inari," Kabuto began to explain. "The reason why the men in the Sound Village behave that way because…that's how…" He snapped his fingers a few times to help him think up the answer to her question.

"Yeah, what is it?" Inari was looking at him anxiously, itching to know his answer.

"That's how the men greet women who was newly recruited to the Sound Village!" Kabuto answered proudly. "Some Sound Shinobi, especially teenagers gets very ecstatic when they see a new lady in our village, they hoot and holler as well as giving an occasional loud whistle or two as their sign of welcoming her to her new village. The women in the Sound Village get a little suspicious towards female newcomers but they eventually get to know her in a calm, milder fashion."

"How come you don't greet me in the village like other Sound Shinobi?" Inari asked.

"I do greet women to the Sound Village, but I do it in a calm and mellow fashion." Kabuto answered. "Your father is the leader of this village and he is too mature to greet women in the way his Shinobi greeted you."

"Oh, okay." Inari nodded, as she understood Kabuto's answer.

"Speaking of your father, we can't have him and his partner wait for us in the battle arena." Kabuto changed the subject.

"Oh yeah, I don't want to miss my battle with him and his partner." Inari responded. "I'm confident enough to show them my fighting abilities." Inari smirked proudly. With that they started walking to their destination. Kabuto quietly let out a sigh, as he felt relieved from the answer he gave to Inari.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

"Whoa, just look at the size of the arena that my battle will take place. It's huge!" Inari exclaimed, as her eyes were wide open from the size of the arena from the outside.

"For once I have to agree with you, Inari." Kobura nodded with agreement. In his own life, he never saw an arena that big before until now.

"That arena has a sixty-four kilometer radius, thus making its area approximately twelve thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight square kilometers." Kabuto responded as he turned his attention towards Inari and Kobura.

"Uh Kabuto, what's a radius?" Inari asked as if he was talking in a confusing language.

"And what's with the kilometers stuff?" Kobura added, as he doesn't understand it too.

Kabuto explained to Kobura that a kilometer is a measurement of length and its used in area as square kilometers. He then used some visual aid to show Inari that a radius is a line halfway across the circle. After that lecture, Kobura and Inari got some idea on what a radius looked like and the use of kilometers in both area and in length. They began to walk inside the arena, knowing the lecture that Kabuto gave them cost them some time.

After they got inside, Inari and Kobura was surprised that the inside of the arena was lots of trees that would make up a forest. Kabuto told them that her father and his partner were waiting in the center of that arena, without any hesitation Inari followed him. Inari felt confident about the environment that the arena provided her because not only she grew up in the forest but she used its surroundings as her huge training ground.

As she was close to the center of the arena, she saw her father with Kimimaro in an open field.

"So, did the tour went smoothly for the both of you?" Orochimaru asked after he noticed Inari, Kobura, and Kabuto was here.

"The tour went very well!" Inari ecstatically responded. "Kabuto showed me and Kobura everything from the cafeteria to the outside of this arena!"

"Wonderful." Orochimaru smiled from the results that his daughter gave him.

"Not only that, the shinobi in this village showed a lot of their hospitality by hooting and hollering at us as well as giving a nice loud whistle or two during the tour." Inari added. "As for the Kunochi, it would take some time to get to know one another."

Even though Orochimaru was puzzled from what Inari said to him, he kept his composure. Kabuto felt a little nervous from the additional input that Inari gave him but tried his best not to show it in front of them.

"So, are you ready for your battle against me and Kimimaro?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes, I can't wait to give every ounce of my effort in our battle." Inari answered with a confident smile on her face, eagerly waiting for her battle to start. "Who knows, I might even beat both of you."

"Don't get too confident about that, this battle won't be easy. You don't even have a slightest hint of how skilled I am in combat, let alone how powerful Lord Orochimaru is during battle." Kimimaro warned Inari.

"I'm fully aware that you two won't go easy on me, so don't expect me to go easy on you." Inari responded in a calm and assertive tone of voice. "I'm not the type of ninja who would run away or surrender without a good reason."

"I admired your bold words my dear, quite fitting for a strong and confident Kunochi." Orochimaru complimented Inari. "But it takes more than that to be a strong ninja. You have to prove us how strong you are in combat."

"I'm also aware that being a ninja takes more than just acting tough to her opponents, but thank you for the compliment though." Inari added after her father admired her bravery.

"Before we begin, Kimimaro will take you to his fellow comrades in the bleachers to drop off Kobura so you can get ready for the fight." Orochimaru said to Inari before Kimimaro led her and Kobura to the bleachers.

After walking up the arena's long stairway, they made it to the bleachers.

"Well, well. Look who's coming up to the bleachers with Kimimaro?" A fourteen-year-old boy with gray hair and bluish green lips retorted after they saw Inari and Kimimaro. He wore a red beaded necklace around his neck and has another head facing behind him. After three of the spectators heard his comment, they turned their attention towards them.

"I remember you." Kidoumaru responded. "I met you with Lord Orochimaru and Kabuto earlier ago."

"Yes, and you're name is Kidoumaru, right?" Inari asked as she turned her attention towards him.

"That's right!" Kidoumaru responded.

"And did you remember the name of the Kunochi that I was with last night?" Kidoumaru asked as he point to Tayuya.

"Of course I do remember her name, her name is Tayuya." Inari responded.

"Man, you do have a very good sense of memory did you know that?" Kidoumaru chuckled from her response before Tayuya placed him in a headlock.

"Well, duh genius, of course she remembered us!" Tayuya snarled at him as her headlock caused Kidoumaru to cough. "She was there when I was verbally scolding you for sneaking behind Lord Orochimaru's back just to flirt with her last night!"

"Hey, don't forget that she was also there when you painfully pulled on my ear." Kidoumaru responded as he used his two hands to loosen her grip. "Plus, I can't help seeing how beautiful she was when I'm up close to, ack!"

"I don't want to hear any lip from you about that girl, got that Kidoumaru!" Tayuya growled as Kidoumaru coughed from the tightened grip of her headlock.

"Now Tayuya, I think that's not the way to show hospitality towards our guest." A large fourteen-year old boy came in the conversation. He had small patches of light orange hair on both top and sides of his head.

"Yeah, I think you should listen to Jirobo for once Tayuya. He has very good reason you should ack!" Kidoumaru added before Tayuya turned her attention towards Jirobo, causing him to be jerked around from her headlock.

"Butt off Fatso! This conversation does not concern you!" Tayuya gave a cold glare towards her gigantic comrade.

"Hey, you know that I hate it when you call me that name!" Jirobo exploded, causing uproar.

"Enough, all of you! Tayuya release Kidoumaru from your grip before he passes out this instant!" Kimimaro demanded. With a low growl in her throat, Tayuya plopped Kidoumaru on the ground to let him gasp for air, then got up to his feet after that. "I never seen such deplorable behavior from all of you, Lord Orochimaru expects your very best behavior today and to make matters worse, you bickered in front of our guest."

"Woah, Kimimaro. I didn't know you have that in you." Inari responded, as she didn't expect that from Kimimaro.

"Well, I didn't tell you that I'm the Commander of the Sound Ninja Five. I have to do to something to keep these four shinobi in line." Kimimaro answered calmly. "Since you already know me, Tayuya and Kidoumaru, I think it's time to know the other two sound shinobi in the Sound Ninja Five starting from left to right." After that, the gray haired and bluish green-lipped ninja stepped up.

"All right, my name is Sakon don't forget it." Sakon responded and his other head turned towards Inari.

"Sakon, who on earth are you talking to?" The other head asked Sakon with a lack of interest. Inari was off guard after she saw the other head moved and talked.

"Oh, forgive me for not telling you that I have a brother named Ukon." Sakon added.

"Me and Sakon shared the same body, remember that." Ukon commented.

"That was interesting, I never saw two ninja sharing a same body before." Inari commented.

"Well, you do now." Sakon commented back. Jirobo stepped up to her.

"I am Jirobo, and like my comrade Sakon, I too am a member of the Sound Ninja Five." Jirobo replied. "Please forgive Tayuya's foul language today."

"It's okay Jirobo, it isn't your fault that Tayuya behave this way." Inari responded and gave a friendly smile towards him."

"I know that, but I have to told her over and over that ladies don't cuss like that." Jirobo nodded.

"Oh." Inari commented.

After their introductions, Kimimaro and his comrades explained that the forest was too dense for them to watch the fight; a huge screen was there in front of them to watch the fight. Also, the arena was divided into four sections so they can see the fight into four different locations of the arena. After hearing these important details about what's going on during her battle in a spectator's point of view, she placed Kobura on the ground. It's not very too long for Sakon, Kidoumaru, Tayuya, and Jirobo to see Kobura in his original form. At first, Tayuya thought that Kobura was nothing more than a dinky snake until she realized how big the python is and to her surprise, he can talk. Inari told them that if they treat Kobura with respect, he'd be respectful to them. After that, Inari and Kimimaro left the bleachers to the arena for their battle.

As soon Inari and Kimimaro met up with Kabuto and her father, they went into two separate directions to stretch their legs. Then, she bended her back, causing to her chest to rise up a bit and twisted her upper body side to side after that.

"So, are you all prepared?" Orochimaru asked.

"Yes, I'm ready." Inari responded as she walked to towards him and Kimimaro. Kabuto was standing between them just to make sure they didn't start the fight yet.

"Today, our challenger, Inari…" Kabuto boldly stated as his right hand pointed at her.

"…will face Kimimaro and Lord Orochimaru in a battle." Kabuto added as he slowly dropped his right hand and raised his left hand towards them. He let down his left hand down after that.

"This battle will not only test her genjutsu, ninjutsu, and taijutsu skills but also her ability to quickly think on her feet in the heat of battle. There will be no time limit." Kabuto then jumped back away from the three ninja.

"Let the fight begin!" Kabuto shouted.

"All right, which one of you two will attack me first?" Inari asked calmly as she stood in front of them. "Come on, there's no need to be afraid."

"Lord Orochimaru, let me attack her first." Kimimaro turned his attention towards her father. "Once I attack her, she'll be vulnerable from your vicious onslaught."

"Very well Kimimaro, attack her whenever you're ready." After that Kimimaro pulled out his bone from his left arm before he charged up towards her.

_All right, it's finally time to make my move!_ Inari thought as her eyes were locked into Kimimaro's light green ones.

"Luring Gaze Jutsu!" Just when the silver-haired shinobi made it halfway towards his target, his body went into a screeching halt and his mind felt as if it was rammed into a brick wall. The bone that he held in his right hand began to tremble as her eyes pulsed invisible rings of chakra. Even though Kimimaro was devoted to Orochimaru and tried his best to move his trembling body, his mind went numb from the pulsing rings.

_I finally got you._ Inari thought as she grinned mischievously and stopped pulsing chakra from her eyes. She noticed Kimimaro walked slowly to her and had a blank, glossy look in his eyes. She was amazed that the bone was still in his hand.

"Kimimaro, what are you doing? I thought you said you're going to attack her?" Orochimaru yelled, not aware of what was happening.

"Kimimaro will only takes orders from me thanks to my Luring Gaze Jutsu." Inari responded as Kimimaro was standing next to her.

"Luring Gaze Jutsu?" Orochimaru asked.

"Normally, this genjutsu allows me to control up to two men. In order for that to happen, I have to have eye contact with them." Inari explained. "The reason why I use this genjutsu on Kimimaro instead of both of you because it would quickly end the match. If that happens, let's just say you won't see any more fighting potential from me."

"True, it would be too easy for you and as always life won't give you easy short cuts." Her father commented.

"Kimimaro, attack him!" Inari ordered.

"Yes Lady Inari." Kimimaro responded as he charged up to Orochimaru.

The moment Orochimaru saw Kimimaro getting ready to attack him with his bone, the raven-haired Sannin dodged it. Both of them threw punches and kicks and one another as they tried to outmaneuver one another so they can get to their blind spots.

_I think it's time for me to join the fun._ Inari thought as she dashed towards them as she quickly and accurately form a hand sign sequence.

"Tiger Form Jutsu!" Her ears were changed into her tiger ears. Her cheeks had whiskers and her orange tiger tail lashed from the excitement, yet she always had her human body.

She formed her right hand into a tight fist, ready to attack him on the side. Just when she was able to land a punch on her preoccupied father, his left eye saw her attack. Orochimaru broke away from Kimimaro and quickly dodged her punch.

Inari then quickly formed another hand sign sequence after she went passed between her father and Kimimaro.

"Tiger Claw Jutsu!" Inari's fingernails instantly changed into long, sharp daggers.

"I see that the vicious tigress has finally begin to expose her claws in front of her opponent." Orochimaru chuckled in front of his daughter, impressed with her half-animal form.

"Well, this fight isn't over by a long shot!" Inari responded as she lunged in front of him, hoping that her long, dagger like nails on her right hand scratched him. But her father quickly jumped back to avoid her swiping hand. After Orochimaru stopped skidding a bit, she went into a blur in front of her father. As Orochimaru turned his head around, he noticed that his daughter was behind him and within a couple of seconds later, Kimimaro was in front of him with his bone in his hand, ready to strike.

"Now Kimimaro!" Inari yelled, as they both simultaneously attacked Orochimaru. Inari's left hand scratched from her father's left shoulder to his right shoulder, while her right hand horizontally scratched his mid-back. Kimimaro's bone slashed horizontally on his abdomen. Orochimaru suddenly changed into a thick piece of log.

"No, a substitution jutsu!" Inari cried as she saw the scratched up log landed on the ground between her and Kimimaro. She immediately changed her fingernails back into their original length.

_Rats, I was so close! I was so close on defeating him!_ Inari thought as her hands were formed into a pair of tight fists, while bearing some of her teeth, clinching in frustration. Just then, her orange tiger ears began to twitch as she heard her father's chuckling. As she looked up, she noticed her father standing on a strong tree branch.

"I have to admit Inari, you're very close on defeating me." Orochimaru commited. "You timed everything right and you almost got me where you wanted me, but like you said this fight isn't over." With that, he disappeared by slowly sank himself into the branch.

_Ok father, if you want us to find you in order to continue the fight, it's fine by me._ Inari thought. She then turned her attention towards Kimimaro.

"Kimimaro, we're going to split up to find our opponent. So you go look for him in that side of the arena, while I cover the other half of the arena." Inari directed him as she pointed to the area of the arena behind him. "And don't forget, if you see him, yell out loud that you found him. My hearing is three times stronger in my tiger form."

"Yes, my lady." Kimimaro responded before they went into two separate directions.

Minutes went by slowly as Inari hopped from one tree branch to another as she searched for her father. She cautiously scanned almost half of the arena and yet, there was no sign of Orochimaru. Ever since Inari began to hunt her father down, her tiger ears didn't stop twitching for a second, hoping it would pick up faint sounds of either his footsteps or his calm breathing pattern. She also listened for any response from Kimimaro wondering if he'd had crossed paths with the raven-haired Sannin.

"Lady Inari, I found him! I found our opponent my mistr-Ugh!" Kimimaro's voice loud cry didn't complete the last word of his sentence. Her light green eyes were wide open, knowing that Kimimaro crossed paths with her father and without any hesitation, she started to head towards Kimimaro's half of the arena.

"Striking Shadow Snake!" Inari's ears twitched and turned her head around only to see four snakes coming at her. Once she landed on a tree branch, Inari immediately dodged all four of them by jumping to a nearby branch.

"It's not wise for you to lower your guard for a second, or you'll be wide open for an attack from your opponent Inari." Her father commented in the shadows as Inari noticed the four snakes returning to her father's loose left sleeve.

"How is it possible, how can you easily take down Kimimaro and quickly come here to fight me?" Inari asked as her enhanced eyesight were locked onto her father.

"All right then, since you are eager to know the truth, I'll tell you of my previous plot." Orochimaru responded. "The moment after you trapped Kimimaro in your genjutsu, you literally turned the tables on me. You and Kimimaro executed your attacks very timely together and you almost have my back and abdomen scratched up. It was then; I realized that it's time for me to turn this fight around. The moment I saw you and Kimimaro split up into two different directions of the arena, I seized the opportunity and created a shadow clone to take out Kimimaro so I won't have to worry about you two ganging up on me."

"I see; you used your shadow clone as a decoy. The moment I heard Kimimaro's unfinished response, I immediately began to head towards him to fight you. Almost letting my own guard down for your own attack." Inari saw what he was up to.

"Precisely." Orochimaru remarked.

"No matter, I can still fight you!" With that, Inari leapt towards her father and threw a punch at her father, only to have it blocked by his left hand. Causing the raven-haired Sannin to be pushed off the tree branch where he was standing. She then tightened her left hand into a fist and tried to land a hit on her father but it was blocked by Orochimaru's right hand.

_Incredible, even though I just blocked both of her punches, I can feel them bearing down on me! In her tiger form, she's unbelievably strong! I mustn't let her land a hit on me in that form._ Orochimaru thought cautiously. He managed to break away from his daughter, only for them to have their feet skid backwards after they landed. Inari immediately released her Tiger Form Jutsu after that.

"All right, it's high time we take this battle to whole new level." Inari stated before her sharp canine drew some of her blood from her left thumb. She then streaked bloody tiger stripes on her right arm from her wrist to her elbow and quickly started doing a hand sign sequence.

Knowing what his daughter was up to, Orochimaru quickly pulled up his skintight black sleeve on his left arm and bit on his right thumb until it bled. He then swiped the blood through his snake summoning contract tattoo and done a hand sign sequence.

"Summoning Jutsu!" Both ninja yelled simultaneously. They were engulfed by two huge puffs of smoke, only to find themselves standing on the heads of two giant animals.

Orochimaru was standing on a head of a huge python, while Inari stood on a head of a giant orange tigress with a red circular gem on her forehead.

"Lady Inari, you summoned me?" The orange tigress asked. "Normally, you would summon my husband Yuuta."

"I know Sora, but today I'm conserving my chakra for my battle." Inari quietly explained to her ally. "Are you ready to fight beside me?"

"Yes my lady, I'm always ready to fight." Sora answered couragely.

Sora let out her loud snarl as she charged up towards the giant green python but it slivered to its left. The giant tigress's claws stuck out as they sank into the ground, causing her hind legs to lift off the ground for a second as she quickly turned around to face the python. In a mere second, Orochimaru leapt off the python's head and onto the guardrail from the bleachers.

"Lady Inari, go after him. I'll take care of that snake." Sora told Inari, who she was on right knee.

"Okay, be careful Sora." Inari warned.

"I will my lady." The giant tigress responded. Then, Inari sprang off Sora's head and landed on the guardrail next to her father. Kobura, Sakon, Jirobo, Tayuya, Kidoumaru, and the newly recruited spectator Kimimaro watched in awe as the two ninja demonstrated their amazing taijutsu skills on the metal rail. As Orochimaru tried to kick Inari with his right leg, she immediately ducked, only to have her butt sticking out towards Tayuya.

"Hey! Watch where you point your ass!" Tayuya growled angrily.

"Well you could have moved a couple of steps back before I ducked!" Inari countered after she leapt into the bleachers, so she can fight her father efficiently. Her father joined her as they kept battling. "Now if you don't mind, I really can't afford to be distracted!"

"Finally, we got a chance to see these two in action without relying on that huge screen." Kidoumaru smiled.

"For once, I have to agree you. Its a little frustrating having them battle in a dense forest." Sakon commented.

"Everything's all right until she stuck her ass out in front of me." Tayuya grumbled.

"Now Tayuya, don't cuss like that." Jirobo added.

"Who asked you?" Tayuya barked at Jirobo.

"Enough, all of you! Instead of having a conversation, focus on watching the battle." Kimimaro finally put an end to their little rant and turned his attention towards Inari and his lord.

Inari and Orochimaru fought long and hard. They almost blocked and dodged every punch and kick that their opponent gave them, neither one let their own guard down as they fight. So far, they haven't done a single jutsu yet. Small beads of sweat trickled down from the sides of their faces and even though they were exhausted, they were too persistent on giving up.

_Lady Inari is a strong kunochi._ Sora thought as her powerful jaws clamped down on the defeated snake._ I wish I could stay here and see how this battle turn out but I have a family to feed._ With that, a big puff of smoke surrounded her, causing her and the dead snake to disappear.

After Kabuto hopped down from a tree branch, he spotted Inari and Orochimaru in the bleachers, catching their breath as they anticipated each other's moves.

"Attention Inari and Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto yelled at the bleachers, causing everyone to turn their attention towards the gray-haired referee. "The bleachers is off limits and if you don't leave this area now, both of you will be automatically disqualified!"

After hearing Kabuto's warning, Inari sprinted downstairs towards the Sound Ninja Five.

"Excuse me, would you please move a side?" Inari asked. Tayuya and Sakon stepped aside as she jumped onto the rail. Once she done that, she sprang off the rail.

As Orochimaru saw Inari sailed through thin air, the raven-haired Sannin faintly chuckled as he formed a grin on his face.

_Well then, if she can pull that one off, so can I._ Orochimaru thought as he burst down the stairs and leapt on the rail beside Kimimaro. Inari looked over her right shoulder to see her father gliding through thin air behind her.

"Wh-What…" Inari was surprised to see her father behind her.

"Just because I'm an experienced ninja, doesn't mean I'm slow for my age, Inari." Orochimaru chuckled.

"Of course not, you know that you wouldn't let a young kunochi like me get the best of you." Inari smirked at her father as she somersaulted in the air.

"Well, there's more to me than meets the eye." Orochimaru commented flipped in the air once before he and Inari landed on their feet inside the arena.

"You know that both of you can go back into the arena without literally jumping off the guardrail." Kabuto sighed as looked at the two ninja.

"Well, both of us got a little excited from the battle." Orochimaru admitted.

"And I kind of forgot about it when I tried to get out of the bleachers as fast as possible to avoid myself from being disqualified." Inari nodded.

"Please don't do that again, the last thing I wanted is to have you both severely injured." Kabuto added.

"Don't worry Kabuto, we'll remember next time." Inari responded.

"All right then, let the battle continue!" Kabuto stated.

Inari then dashed into the forest, her father not far behind. After Kabuto saw the two ninja bolted into the forest, he tagged along.

Inari stopped running to catch her breath. She noticed that her father was still here and Kabuto was not far behind to watch the battle from a safe distance.

_Okay, it's time for me to use my special jutsu._ Inari thought before she leapt up to the air and quickly done her final hand sign sequence.

"Striking Shadow Snake!" Orochimaru shouted as four snakes came out of his loose right sleeve.

"Tiger Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Inari cried out before a thick cloud of smoke concealed her.

Orochimaru quickly called the snakes back to his sleeve and once the smoke quickly vanished, six copies of his daughter surrounded him. He lightly grunted in frustration as he saw them in their tiger forms.

As he saw the first clone attacked him, Orochimaru blocked her punch with his right hand and grabbed her by her wrist and threw her to another clone from the bottom left, both clones turned into small puffs of smoke. The shadow clones from both sides of him lunged at him at the same time to their chance to land a hit on him but Orochimaru dodged, having them to attack each other causing them to turn two more puffs of smoke. Orochimaru smirked; knowing that one of the clones was his real daughter. He noticed the shadow clone leap kicked behind him and dodged it, only to have her kick the other clone in front of her, turning it into a puff of smoke.

"This battle has finally reached its end, my dear!" Orochimaru exclaimed as he landed a kick on her, only to taken by surprise that she turned into a puff of smoke.

_Where is she? Where did that girl went off to?_ Orochimaru thought as his eyes scanned to his left.

_It's now or never, Inari!_ She thought as she burst out from the bush in her tiger form.

Without warning, she landed a strong punch on her father's abdomen and then twisted her fist into it, giving him a painful grunt.

_I couldn't believe it; I couldn't believe that I let my own guard down!_ Orochimaru thought as he gritted his teeth in pain. _The punch I received from her in her tiger form is beyond my own belief!_

Orochimaru then punched his daughter on the side of her head before her punch hurled himself into a tree. Inari tumbled onto her side after his punch landed on her side of her head; her head then was slammed into another tree. A puff of smoke covered her, only to have herself turned back into her human form. Inari cringed in pain after having her head slammed into a tree on top of her father's punch; it then took over her after she was unconscious. The raven-haired Sannin felt the same effects on him but he felt the pain on the back of his head, his back and his now throbbing abdomen, he too went unconscious from the overwhelming pain.

Kabuto was speechless. For once in his own life, he never saw a challenger equally as strong as his lord until now. He was even relieved that he could sense their pulses. Nothing in this match could surprised him except Inari.

"Both Inari and Lord Orochimaru are unable to continue, thus ending this battle in a tie!" Kabuto finally announced.

Once Kimimaro got to the arena, he carried Orochimaru to his room, while Kabuto carried Inari to hers with Kobura around his neck. After gray-haired Medical-Nin placed Inari on her bed, he placed Kobura on the ground to change his form. The fifteen-meter python told him that he can use his infinite chakra to replenish her low amount of chakra.

After Kabuto heard his proposal, he placed her in his coiled mound; his tail slowly wrapped her up from her hips, and as it moved up to her neck, her arms were pinned to her sides. After that, he wrapped up her thighs and calves, only to have her kneecaps exposed. Kabuto then noticed that Inari started glowing as Kobura began to replenish her chakra. Knowing that Kobura got everything covered, Kabuto left the room to check on her father.


End file.
